COVID-19 has certainly changed the ways in which we live and interact, and it seems like it’s not going to end soon. Yet, even in these trying times, our Build Your Robot internship is attracting attention, and we’re very happy to see this.

We think it is because our internships offer a unique combination of working in a multidisciplinary team, intense hands-on experience and full-time mentoring. These are the hallmarks of the Build Your Robot programs and the reasons why we can’t have a regular internship in 2021.

Your safety is paramount and we would never risk it by assembling fifteen or more people in a single room during a pandemic. If the team members cannot build something together, with a mentor by their side, the magic is gone. That is why we have to postpone the Build Your Robot internship to a later year.

The good news is that we are announcing Build IT at Home, a team-based technology program in the spirit of the Build Your Robot internships. It’s a one-time-only event designed to combine the best of what Build Your Robot has to offer with social distancing to keep you safe.

Will there be an awesome team?

Definitely, although somewhat smaller. This time you get to pick your teammates, so grab some friends and sign up.

What about hands-on experience?

It’s the only way in which you’ll learn. We’ll provide a starter kit and you have to build your own instrument.

Will there be mentoring?

Of course. Each team will receive coaching so that they can make the most of their ideas.

How will it work?

The teams

The first step is to assemble and brand your team.

Each team must have between two and four members. This program, much like the Build Your Robot before it, is meant for young participants, so the team members should all be university students.
The registration period starts on March 1, 2021, and the registered teams must qualify in order to participate in the Build IT At Home program.

Registration ends on April 20 and the teams that qualify for the program will be announced on April 30, 2021.

Qualifying

Each registration should contain a thorough description of the team, of its members and of any previous projects you might have worked on.

The registration should also contain the pitch for the project that the team will be building over the course of the program. These pitches will be the major deciding factors in the qualifying stage, so the teams should present their ideas as clearly as possible.The goal of the program is to build a point-of-care device and the teams are free to choose what that device will do and how it will be built. Your team’s ideas on this subject should all go into the pitch presentation.The teams’ pitches will be judged based on relevance (is there a need for such a device?), instrument capability (how well will that instrument accomplish its task?) and technical feasibility (can your team build this instrument in such a short time?). The teams with the highest-scoring pitches will be contacted within 10 days of their application.

The Program

The main part of Build IT At Home will start on May 17 and it will go on for four and a half months, ending on September 30, 2021.

During this time, your team should provide deliverables for several milestones. These milestones are important and failure to meet them may lead to disqualification.
It would not be a Build Your Robot project without mentoring, so each team will receive a time-based budget of consultancy and mentoring from STRATEC specialists. Your team may use this budget as you see fit. One thing to keep in mind: if you forfeit the starter kit and choose a different technology stack for your project, our mentors may not be able to provide as much assistance as they would otherwise.
The finished devices will be demoed to a larger audience in the first part of October 2021 and the winners will be decided by a panel of STRATEC specialists. The devices will score points based on their relevance, technical features and usability.
We believe that all of the teams will be winners, each in its own way. No matter what happens, the starter kits will be yours to keep. Moreover, the experience that you will gain and the mentoring that you will receive over the course of the program may turn out to be priceless.

The Point-Of-Care Device

Point-of-care diagnostics are usually performed outside of the classic lab setting, in a decentralized manner. Point-of-care devices are used “where the patient is”. This means doctor’s offices, clinics, health centers in developing countries etc.

Usually, these devices take simple measurements, like drug tests, pregnancy tests, cholesterol tests, cardiologic parameters, blood clotting and other low-complexity determinations. Since the instruments are located close to the patients, results are quickly available and hassles like sample transportation or test prioritization are avoided altogether. These are some of the reasons why point-of-care devices are becoming increasingly popular.The goal of this program is for your team to build such a device. There are no constraints on what the device should do, so teams can (and really should) use their imagination.

The only limiting factor is time: Build IT At Home will take place over a period of four and a half months.
To ensure equal starting chances, all the qualified teams will receive a basic starter kit consisting of a Raspberry Pi 4, a touchscreen display and a power adapter. STRATEC will provide the teams with a budget for buying other sensors and accessories they may need. You are not limited to the starter kit. If your teams’ idea involves networking the Raspberry with other devices, you’re free to do so. You can even use an entirely different technology stack. The goal is to have a working point-of-care device by the end of the program, and the path your team takes to get there is of your own choosing.

About Stratec

“STRATEC” – our engineering is often inside, but seldom on the label

We develop and produce fully automated analyzer systems used by many of the leading global in vitro diagnostics companies, as well as Hematology and Clinical Chemistry systems, marketed under the Diatron brand. We also offer integrated software solutions for laboratories and sample preparation products to both clinical and research laboratories working with molecular diagnostics.

If you work for us you can expect a dynamic team, an open working environment and flat hierarchies. We offer a long-term perspective, as well as challenging and varied day to day tasks.